The Community Analysis
The DeFuniak Springs Library, located in rural Walton County, Florida, serves a diverse population, including residents who face significant transportation challenges. Access to public services, especially libraries, can be heavily impacted by infrastructural limitations in rural communities (Real & Rose, 2017). This analysis focuses on how patrons with limited or no transportation engage with the library’s offerings, drawing from feedback from both user-centric and system-centric individuals, participant observation, and qualitative data collection methods.
Stakeholders and Community Perspectives
Many of the library's regular patrons shared that they value the DeFuniak Springs Library as a space for free access to books, internet, and educational programs. However, for residents without personal vehicles—particularly elderly individuals, youth, and low-income families—reaching the library remains a substantial barrier. According to a patron interviewed within the DeFuniak Library “If the library were closer or there was a bus, I’d be here all the time, but people here just can't get around.”
Feedback revealed that some users rely on family members or neighbors for occasional transport. However, others simply cannot access the library on a regular basis due to the lack of a consistent, affordable public transit system in Walton County. This transportation issue reflects national concerns about rural information access inequities (Bertot, Real, & Jaeger, 2016).
Library staff noted that transportation constraints are a known limitation in outreach efforts. They reported that barriers to attending the library make it a difficult situation, with outreach limited by the limited use of those without proper Internet or digital access. Library staff further noted that those patrons without transportation or those who are transient are often those most in need of the library for its access to computers and assistance with printing or making copies. This highlights an opportunity for improved digital literacy education and more proactive outreach to remote users.
Observation and Informal Feedback
Observational data were collected during two in-person visits to the library and a community pantry in the same area. The library had high engagement during school hours and early afternoons, but fewer patrons were observed in the early evenings, which staff attributed to limited transit options after work hours. At the food pantry, informal conversations confirmed that several individuals, while aware of the library, had not visited in months due to transportation constraints.
Data Collection Instruments
A semi-structured interview guide was used with both staff and patrons. Questions for staff focused on perceived community needs, common patron requests, and outreach efforts. Patron questions included: “How do you usually get to the library?” and “What would make it easier for you to visit more often?” The guide was piloted with three individuals before broader use.
A short survey was created and distributed to approximately 50 community members, including through a local grocery store (Wal-Mart), electricity utility company (CHELCO), the local USPS (survey located below).
Project Alignment
This project connects directly to our course’s focus on inclusion, particularly regarding geographic and economic barriers to information access. Limited transportation is a form of structural exclusion negatively impacts the patron’s ability to benefit from library services—mirroring broader digital divide issues that disproportionately affect rural and marginalized populations (Jaeger, Bertot, & Subramaniam, 2013). By highlighting these challenges through direct feedback from stakeholders and proposing inclusive solutions, this project supports the development of more equitable library services.
References
Bertot, J. C., Real, B., & Jaeger, P. T. (2016). Public libraries building digital inclusive communities: Data and findings from the 2013 Digital Inclusion Survey. The Library Quarterly, 86(3), 270–289. https://doi.org/10.1086/686674
Gibson, A. N., Chancellor, R. L., Cooke, N. A., Dahlen, S. P., Lee, S. A., & Shorish, Y. L. (2018). Libraries on the frontlines: Neutrality and social justice. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, 37(4), 329–340. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-11-2017-0239
Jaeger, P. T., Bertot, J. C., & Subramaniam, M. (2013). Preparing future librarians to effectively serve their communities. The Library Quarterly, 83(3), 243–248. https://doi.org/10.1086/670696
Real, B., & Rose, R. N. (2017). Rural libraries in the United States: Recent strides, future possibilities, and meeting community needs. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/sites/ala.org.tools/files/content/Rural-Libraries-in-the-U.S.-March-2017.pdf